Chez Nous!

I was pleased to discover last Friday that the Ferndown Market is not monthly, as I had thought, but weekly. However the cheerful onion seller was absent. 
I picked up a couple of books by Frenchwomen from the library instead. The first was about fashion and food - "French Women for All Seasons" by Mireille Guilano, who wrote the best seller "French Women Don't Get Fat". I never read that one [when I was riding round France on a pillion ten years ago, I saw dozens of plump little old French ladies walking in the towns and villages] I suspect it is more accurate to say rich Frenchwomen can choose not to get fat. 
This elegant lady, who was in charge of the Veuve Cliquot Champagne Company in the USA has quite definite ideas about style and diet.

 She has her own websites [here and here] In many ways she reminds me of Martha Stewart [the way I do it is the best, the only way, if you want to get it right and stay as wonderful as I am]  Like MS, she has been voted as one of the worst bosses to work for! Nevertheless, there were some interesting recipes. 
I may have a go at some of her soups - especially the ones needing shallots. My second French foray was into the world of decor.

This was described as '40 simple sewing, patchwork, applique and embroidery projects'

These are all very pretty - although no particularly new ideas. Everything photographed in tasteful shades of blue , grey and white. I am not sure whether things got 'lost in translation' - some of the instructions are not very clear. However the projects all use simple techniques, so it is easy to work out most things. Pretty to look at - but I don't think I will make any of these. Rating ***

My third book isn't French - it is by two women from Norway. Ellen Dyrop and Hanna Kristinsdottir have assembled a vast collection of ideas for repurposing old household utensils and linens, with a 'shabby chic' approach.

The instructions are much better in this book, and I thought the list of UK stockists and websites at the back was more helpful. But some of the ideas are a little whacky - like turning old metal thermos flasks into table lamps! I suppose in chilly Scandinavia you probably get given lots of woolly hats, so converting one into a teacosy makes sense. I've used a toast-rack as a letter rack since student days. I could make one of my biscuit tins into a clock - but I have plenty of clocks already! This book, like the previous one, was very pretty to look at, even if I do not actually create any of the projects. More skill needed for these though [metal work, drilling etc] and a good collection of vintage linens and pieces of embroidery. Rating ***

These three were all diverting reads, the last two with superb illustrations, but I am not sure I found anything especially memorable. 

The two important catchphrases from the first book were

'la moitié, s'il vous plaît' ['just give me half of that, please'] - which is MG's way of dieting, to only eat half portions.

and then Always strive to be 'bien dans sa peau' [good in your skin]  that is, true to your unique, outward self in addition to your inward, emotional self.

I have to give Mme Guiliano a mere * though. I found it incredibly patronising that whenever she used a French phrase, she gave the phonetic pronunciation, just in case we need to repeat it in conversation. 

la moitié [lah MWAH-tyay] is bad enough, but to explain eau [oh] and bonjour [BOH((N)-zhoor] is downright insulting. Maybe it is because she is writing for the American Market - who had to have explanatory film posters which said Ratatouille [rat-tat-too-ee] 

Cereal Killer

I eat breakfast every day - some Saturdays Bob does a great fry-up, High Days and Holidays I enjoy croissants, coffee and o.j. - but most days when I have to get up and get on with life I have a bowl of cereal. Preferably oat-based - porridge, granola or muesli. 
Then last year I cracked a tooth** on a nut in my granola. So I have been eating Jamie Oliver's Awesome Granola Dust instead. It is quite quick to make

Ingredients:
1kg regular porridge oats oats
250g mixed nuts
100g seeds
250g dried fruit
1 Tablespoon fresh ground coffee
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

zest of 1 orange 
 
Method:

Heat the oven to 180°C 
Mix the oats, seed and nuts in a large roasting dish. Toast in the oven at for 10 – 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
Remove from oven, stir in the other ingredients
Blend together in batches in a food processor until it turns to magic granola dust
Store in a glass jar. 

I make half a batch at a time, which fills one large and one small jar.

I used some of my chopped nuts, and almonds and walnuts from my cooking supplies. Seeds are from a mixed pack of seeds [Crownfield cereal toppers from Lidl - including exotic goji berrries] Dried fruit - I used dried cranberries and chopped apricots leftover from a baking session, plus sultanas and a few dried prunes.

The recommended portion is 50g - which is just less than this little silicon pudding bowl. The bowl squashes up into the jar. 

OK it doesn't look that appetising, it is just dust - but I love the taste. 

Following Jamie's suggestions I have tried it 

• with any sort of milk 
• sprinkled on yogurt
• stirred 25g into a cup of hot milk for a drink
• porridge with 50g to 200ml milk
• a smoothie - 25g dust, banana,etc blitzed with cold milk
• pancakes - batter made with 2 tbsp dust, 1 tbsp flour, 1 banana, 1 egg

I find it quite filling [50g supplies approx 400 cals, 15 g fat, 15 g protein, carbs 52 g, sugar 32g, fibre 8g] and sometimes have a small bowl for supper too. I like it with chocolate nondairy oat milk - but it does look a bit like setting concrete!

Jamie explains more in this video clip

**Last week I cracked another tooth- this time on a soft bread roll. However I am not planning on changing to eating breadcrumbs instead just yet.

Feeling Sluggish!

Thanks for all the helpful advice regarding slugs. I will plant out more courgettes in pots and grow them again on the windowsill in the back bedroom.

Once they are fairly substantial in size, I shall plant them out again. I may put little cloches [from lemonade bottles] over them, to protect them.

I am hoping this will solve the problem. Grateful for all your gardening wisdom, thank you again, one and all, for the comments. I will not give up!

OCD Hoarder?

Like many of my friends, I watch the programme 'Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners' with a mixture of fascination and horror - at one end of the spectrum, people who live in real filth and squalor, and at the other, folk who are terrified by the thought of a germ.
Most of us are somewhere in the middle - we neither leave half opened food packets in our kitchen for years at a time, nor do we lick our toilet seats to prove they are clean. I was appalled to read recently of an increase in breathing problems, and impaired lung development among babies and children of obsessively hygienic mothers, who are forced to live in an atmosphere of chlorine bleach fumes.
But the other week, one person declared herself to be an "Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder" - and I wondered if that is what I am. I do keep many things believing them to be useful - and sometimes is a number of months years, before their purpose is discovered. 
Tapestry wools - In my twenties, I did a few of those Penelope Kits [they were 21st birthday gifts] and I kept the leftover wools. Then a friend died, and her niece passed on a bag of wools and a floor-standing frame. Another lady gave me a biscuit tin stuffed with wools. Down the years I have used some of them for different projects, but still have yards of soft, coloured skeins. Last week I found a good use for them- and did a proper tidy up of my stash. A friend picked up a long neglected project, and found herself short of a few colours. It was lovely to sort out what I had, and send her some skeins which are possible matches for what she needs. I hope it will save her some money as she finishes her project.

Here are the yarns lined up against the card of shades she needed.
And here is the tangle of wools which I have now tidied away into my Sanderson print bag. There were lots of skeins of embroidery cotton in the melée - so I put those in a separate roll. 

That came from a lady in Leicestershire - an ex missionary called Margaret. By strange coincidence, her husband was a college with my Dad in the 1940s. I don't know if she made the green linen roll herself - but it is a good memory of a hardworking and diligent woman.

My other big sort out was my 'baby and toddler dress patterns'. I suspect these will get some use pretty soon.

I made the little pink sailor dress for Liz in a cute green striped cotton, with a white collar piped in green. I was given some beautiful stretch terry fabric, and actually made her some babygros with it.


I bought all four of the Pebble Mill At One patterns - and both Steph and Liz had jackets, trousers, skirts and pinafores from the set.

Bob was a student and our income was minuscule - but I enjoyed producing pretty clothes from all sorts of scraps.  I am not making Rosie any babygros though - they are relatively inexpensive to buy now, and I found the work involved in construction was quite complex. 

Yes I am a hoarder, and some of this wool dates back 40 years [DMC sclaim it is mothproof, and colourfast - and so it is] and the patterns are over 30 years old - but they are still useful. I am glad I did not throw them away. 

Marie Kondo's question is "Do these things bring you joy?" my answer "Yes, over and over again! and joy to friends and family too" So I am keeping them a while longer.

The Mystery Of The Missing Zucchinis

In my determination to grow more veg and flowers this year, I planted some courgettes, nasturtiums and sweet peas in little pots. I nurtured them on the windowsill in the back bedroom. They sprouted and grew to a manageable size. On Easter Monday I carefully planted the dozen little courgette plants out in the vegetable bed. I put the nasturtiums and sweet peas around a pyramid framework for them to climb up. I checked them just before we went away, and they were fine. I went out to take photos of their progress on our return from Norfolk.
The courgettes have completely disappeared!
The row of earth where they were is just earth now. Not one left. I have no idea where they have gone. Jim-next-door says some of his flowers appear to have been disturbed. He suspects foxes. Do foxes eat courgettes? I am trying not to be too disappointed. But I really do wonder if I will ever get the hang of this gardening lark.

Practising Our Grandparenting Skills

Sometimes a Gran has to admit that Grandad has won that day's 'I can settle the baby' contest. Doesn't he look smug?

My 61st Birthday Dinner

Menu

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Salmon Mousse with Black Pepper Crackers

garnished with our Garden Mint

---

Four bird roast

Amazing Roast Potatoes

Carrots, Cabbage

Tenderstem Broccoli

Bob's Special Gravy

---

Tiramisu

---

Washed down with Sparkling Mineral Water

followed by Coffee

Bob did all this on Saturday night - less stressful than trying to prepare it on my actual birthday. I felt really special, and quite spoilt. Thank you Bob! and thank you everyone else for all your kind wishes - here, on Facebook, by email and by snail mail.  

Where Has The Time Gone?

It is my birthday today. I was born on Easter Sunday, and I love Sunday birthdays. The house smells gorgeous - on the dining table is one of the table centres from last week's reception [gift from my generous SIL Denise] Some of the blooms have been extracted as they were drooping - but the perfume of the roses is great. So often professional displays are all about the appearance, but this one has the scent too

In the lounge, my blue hyacinths are blooming and filling the room with their equally lovely fragrance. These were a birthday gift from best friend Christine. 

It has been an amazing year - settling down in this lovely church and community, gaining a son in law and a grand-daughter, supporting Steph in the London marathon, and watching Liz and Jon becoming parents and house-owners. I have put on weight - but I am riding my bicycle much more. Whilst I miss the classroom, I have been kept busy in other ways. So much to be thankful for, and to look forward to
The Lord has promised good to me, 
his word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be, 
as long as life endures 

Wimbledon Wedding

Last Saturday we were in the elegant setting of Cannizaro House, by Wimbledon Common, for the wedding of my niece Francesca to Fergus

The bride was elegant in a gold lace dress, her sister Rebecca wore a midnight blue dress.  The groom and his brothers wore matching patterned silk ties.  Here's a collage of the happy couple, with siblings and parents.

To complete the roll call of the Almonds...Bob's brother and family [minus my great nephew, who was staying with his other grandparents. Toddlers don't always enjoy weddings]

And our crowd. To misquote AA Milne - "now we are seven."

Here's the cake. I am told that an un-iced wedding cake like this is called a 'Naked Cake'

And another shot of the beautiful bride. 
[To think that I was that slim on my wedding day - not sure I shall ever weigh 7 stone 10 again]

Stourhead Story

I promised some more pictures from Stourhead, the lovely National Trust property we visited recently. This has been the home of the Hare family for centuries, one of the first mansions built in the Palladian style. The NT changes the 'theme' every few years, and from 2014-2018, they are marking the centenary of WW1 with "Harry's Story" - there is much about Harry Hoare who lived there from early childhood until his death in the War. This is a useful idea in one way, you get a feel for Harry's lifestyle and that of his parents, Sir Henry and the glamorous Lady Alda - but it did mean I didn't find out much about earlier generations [like the bibliophile Richard Colt Hoare, who set up the fabulous Regency Library] Most of the pictures below were taken by Bob [who has a new camera]

By the reception there is a large book with the first page of Harry's Story, telling of his arrival in the snowy weather of February 1895
We began with a sandwich and a cuppa, then walked down the path to the house itself. Along the path were quotes from the family and their famous friends - some personal comments from Alda's diary, others were public remarks about the War.

I have to agree with her about her husband - I feel the same about mine!

The first person encountered inside the house is King Alfred. I really must find out more about this monarch! 

There were lots of family portraits, including one of Alda, which Bob said reminded him of Klimt's Judith I. Judith was painted in 1901, Alda in 1909. I can see the similarities!

During a massive fire at Stourhead in 1902, much of the centre of the house was destroyed - but family and servants worked hard to save as much as they could of furniture and artworks from the flames. It is remarkable how much was rescued and remains to be seen and enjoyed. 
There is an awful lot of Chippendale furniture - beautiful craftsmanship, wood gleaming with a burnished sheen...

The wine coolers/jardinieres are also Chippendale, but apparently Alda did not like them and had them repainted. I am not sure I like them in this colour.

The window at the top of the library is stunning as the light shines through

I love this collection of wooden document boxes at the end of one of the bookcases

A new sculpture garden has just been opened. The first piece is called Ebenezer Stone's Bicycle. This man worked on the estate but was seriously injured in the War. The bicycle wheels have images of soldiers, a nurse and more. A pair of crutches leans against a tree nearby. I took lots of photos.

  

I really enjoyed visiting Stourhead, and hope to go again sometime when the weather is a little better. The gardens will be beautiful later on I know.

Here's One I Made Earlier!

We had a fantastic weekend - a friend's 50th birthday party on Friday, niece Francesca's wedding Saturday [so all the family were together] then overnight with Liz, Jon and Rosie, and up to Cornerstones after breakfast.
The boiler was not working - but fortunately we had hot water bottles, a couple of spare heaters and an electric shower. But Mr Jacobs, the wonderful boiler repairman said he could come out Monday afternoon and fix it.  We went off to buy groceries at Sainsburys and bumped into Christine [which was good, as we didn't think we'd have time to meet up] Then back to wait for Liz, Jon and Rosie. 
Just before Adrian, Marion, Lucy and Josh arrived for a meal with us, Liz realised she had not packed a hat for Rosie. "Have you any wool here, can you make one tonight?" What a challenge. 
I had some 4ply and also 2 small balls of random dye DK yarn - but for speed, I knitted with a strand of each on 5.5mm needles. I made up the pattern as I went along. And it fitted!

Almost Instant Baby Hat

Cast on 56 sts, using 5.5mm needles and one strand each 4ply and DK
Knit 6 rows in k2,p2 rib.
Change to st. st. and knit till work measures 6" ending with purl row
Next row - [K2, k2tog]  repeat to end [42sts]
next row- purl
next row - [K1, k2tog] repeat to end [28sts]
next row - purl
next row - [k2tog] repeat to end [14 sts]
next row - purl 
next row - [k2tog] repeat - [7sts]
next row - [p2tog] 3 times, p1 [4 sts]
continue in stocking stitch - knitting 18 rows on these 4 stitches.
next row - k2 tog twice - 2 sts
next row - k2tog - 1 stitch left
Leaving enough yarn for sewing up [approx 15"] cut yarn and thread through last stitch.
Seam down the tail and the back seam. Finish off yarn. Tie the little tail into a knot
Job done! Hat can be worn with ribbing turned up or down.
Took me under 2 hours.

Rosie is really starting to smile now - especially when her Mum is chatting to her. Liz was five weeks old when we first took her to Norfolk. Lovely to see history repeating itself.

Au Marché / Al Mercato

Friday saw our new monthly street market appear in town. Gazebos all down the street, in the little parking square and at the top of the precinct. Bob and I took the advantage of being on holiday from work to stroll down first thing in the morning, in the warm sunshine and have a look at the goods on offer. Most people seemed bright and cheerful, although one gentleman was ranting about the loss of parking spaces [two affable policeman were gently trying to calm him down, politely pointing out that it was only one day in the month, and there were loads of other spaces close by]

The stalls were fairly predictable - meat, bread, veg, flowers, clothing, jewellery and small electricals. A few were slightly more unusual- a Mediterranean Sweets stall [full marks for being the only table offering samples!] and a chap selling Provencal table linens. I do love those sunny blue and yellow prints! 

Most interesting was Monsieur Pascal with his oignons [or do we have to spell that ognon now? which looks an ugly word I think] However one spells these things, I shunned his smoked garlic [l'ail fumé] Bob has promised to produce some of these for me this summer in the Cornerstones smoker. But I did buy a string of shallots [des échalotes] to hang in the garage

Then my beloved Belgian took me to The Merchant of Venice for petit dejeuner [sorry, colazione] I felt happily European as I ate my toasted panettone!

The Rev's Ramsons

No that isn't a typo. Ramsons is another name for Allium Ursinum – which is also also known as buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek or bear's garlic – is a wild relative of chives. The name comes from the Old English word hramesan, which means onions. And when we had our day working on the garden last week, I discovered we have a patch of these growing in our back garden. I'd actually taken a picture of them on Good Friday afternoon- but only realised later what they were!

I am determined that we will grow stuff in our garden which is either beautiful or edible [or both], and there was even an article in this month's Country Living about ramsons. I picked a mugful, and used it to make a pesto sauce. I stirred that into some tagliatelle, and added some chopped cooked  chicken. It was delicious, and very easy. 

PESTO RECIPE 

blend in a food processor

I mug of ramsons

50g of chopped mixed nuts**

a good glug of olive oil

you can add parmesan[or other cheese] at this point - but as I don't like cheese, I add grated cheese to Bob's portion when it is served.

This quantity serves four people with 350g of dried pasta. Keep it in a jar on the fridge. It is so fresh and green and garlicky. Best eaten with people you know and love, and not when you are planning to go out and socialise afterwards!

** Sainsburys sell a bag of almonds/walnuts/peanuts @ £1 for 200g, Tesco sell similar for £1.20

Remember; ransoms -  paid to rescue people, and ramsons - wild garlic!!

Good Old Wenceslaus

Not the King from the carol, but Wenceslaus Hollar. This name was new to me, but I have realised that I have seen WH's work in the history books. I learned a little about him last Tuesday, when we visited Stourhead, a National Trust property in Wiltshire. We had a fascinating conversation with the book conservator. 
I wrote down Hollar's name so I could come home and research him. This is what I found out

Bohemian artist, Wenceslaus Hollar, [1607-1677] was taken into the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel during his European tour in the 1630s, returning with him to England where he was to remain for the next ten years. He remained in England during the beginning of the English Civil War period, but left London for Antwerp in 1642, where he continued to work on a variety of projects. Within a few years returned to England, working on a number of large projects.

Hollar was in London during the Great Fire of 1666, and remains most famous for his scenes of the city before and after the fire. He was one of the most skilled etchers of his or any other time, which is all the more remarkable given that he was almost blind in one eye.

Hollar died in London on 25 March 1677. Hollar was not only an exquisitely talented artist but also an extraordinarily prolific one, and our view of Britain in his period arguably owes more to him than to anyone else. He produced topographical prints, related scenes and maps. 

Perhaps the etching for which he is most famous is "The Long View of London". Two pictures, the top one is entitled "A true and exact prospect of the famous city of London from St Marie Over Steeple, In Southwark, in its flourishing condition before the Fire."  And the lower one is "Another prospect of the said city taken from the same place as it appeareth now after the said calamity and destruction by fire"  [You can see this in greater detail here]

In 1647, Hollar had produced this huge etching of a panoramic view of the city [approximately from the top of today's Southwark Cathedral] Then the Great Fire of London caused such devastation in 1666. Wisely recognising a commercial opportunity, he climbed St Marie's tower again, and did another piece from the same lace- showing St Paul's now a charred shell, and many areas flattened, building burned down.

So why did my visit to a house in Wiltshire spark an interest in a guy born in Prague 400 years ago? Well, the book conservator told us that he is making an accurate catalogue of the library [over 4700 books] 

Whilst going through each book, and noting interesting details, the conservator discovered that tucked away in one of the large books about London, was one of the Hollar Long View Etchings. The value of that piece of paper far exceeds the value of the book where it was hidden! [another Long View was sold in 1999 for excess of £30,000] I could tell this man was utterly thrilled with his discovery, and delighted to tell us about it. Like so many folk, he is an unpaid National Trust volunteer - but I suspect he would say that one discovery makes the hours of study all worth it.

Hollar didn't just produce prints of London and other places- he did etchings of people, and of nature. This beautiful Nautilus Shell is one of many prints in the British Museum Collection. By his life's end, he had produced some 2700 separate etchings. 

[I will post more pictures of Stourhead later- once I have been able to retrieve the ones Bob took on his new camera]